Say Something
by TheRavenFromTheDeep
Summary: Nick left to his own devices by Judy, is forced to partner with the famed Jack Savage. Forced might not be the word he'd use if he wasn't completely overreacting. Well, if you're going to conquer a fur trade and government corruption, you bet your tail Jack's the mammal you want to partner up with. High T, susceptible to change. WildeSavage on the backburner.
1. Enter: Savage

**A/N: Yay, another story by me. This time it is my life's mission to see this through to the end.**

* * *

Judy's promotion had barely come as a surprise to Nick. The fact that she was being transferred out of Precinct 1? That bit shocked him. Not that he wasn't happy for her, he just wasn't happy...for them. Sure, they could still hang out on their days off, or after work, but he had grown accustomed to patrols with her.

He cleared his thoughts, sipping from his coffee. He still had this last day with her, why not make it last? Live life in the moment, right?

"And finally, before I begin handing out assignments, I have to acknowledge the newest addition to our little team," Bogo's voice was practically dripping with disdain. Clearly, this was not something he wanted to do. Nick did find it odd that Bogo would even point out more than the fact that more people existed.

Sighing, Bogo stood straighter as a rabbit walked down through the bullpen, "This is 'Commander Savage', he's been assigned here to work on taking down something. Now you all have the same amount of briefing as I do," The buffalo huffed, and Nick understood almost immediately. Bogo was flying blind here, and he did not like that one bit.

Savage took off his sunglasses, "As your Chief said, I am here on official business to take down a certain organization that resides in Zootopia. I can't give you much more information, but not much will change in your day to day. I may call upon any of you at any point if I need assistance and...," Jack trailed off, looking back at the Chief.

"You are to give him anything he needs. If Commander Savage asks you to bend over in the showers for him, you'll do it," Bogo was not happy, even remotely.

Nick couldn't help but let a smirk play across his face. The rabbit was doing everything in his ability to remain professional while screwing with the buffalo. Nick glanced over to Judy, hoping she was getting the same amount of enjoyment out of this as he was.

What he found instead, was what appeared to be stars in her eyes. Nick looked back to Savage, who was still explaining his role at the precinct. Savage was a bit taller than Judy, with prominent blue eyes, a lean body, and quite a few stripes decorating him. He was unique, yes. But good looking enough to fall for at first sight? Eh.

As Commander Savage finished up, Bogo started handing out assignments. As he made it down the list to Nick and Judy, the rabbit interjected, "Ah, Chief, I'm going to take these two for a few minutes. You'll have them back in a bit...maybe."

Bogo huffed and walked away, seemingly fighting the urge to slam the door behind him. Sliding from the chair, the fox chuckled and turned to the rabbit, who was seemingly sizing the two of them up. Without further notice, the commander thrust his paw out towards Nick, "Jack Savage, you're Nick Wilde, no?" The rabbit's voice flowed smoothly, faint traces of an accent lingering.

"I know who you are, Stripes," Nick took the paw, gave it a firm shake, then placed his paws into his pockets. Jack repeated the action with Judy, "The question is, why are you pulling us aside?"

"And more importantly, why are you calling yourself a Commander? You are **the** Jack Savage, first rabbit agent, right?" Judy questioned, speaking a little too fast. Nick bumped her with his tail, in a vain attempt to tell her, "Also, what Nick said: Why pull us specifically away?"

Jack looked between the two, "First: Yes I am that Jack Savage. I'm going with the title of Commander because it sounds more police-like."

"And also because it plays up the ego a bit," Nick quipped, earning him a look from Judy.

"Aaaand because it plays up my ego," Jack paused, trying to remember his train of thought, "Second: I need some mammals who know this city, and how it works, to help me run this operation. I haven't been back to this city in quite a few years. I hear you two know your way around this city," Jack looked over at Nick, "And not just the places the light touches."

Judy glanced between the two, before realization dawned on her, "Commander Savage, are you assuming just because my partner is a fox-"

"Nothing of the sort, Ms. Hopps. I'm merely aware of some possibly ill made choices that dot Mr. Wilde's past, that lead me to believe he has some connections. You assumed the same thing when you first met him, didn't you?" Nick noted how Jack had immediately entered damage control mode, turning the tables on the smaller bunny.

"Can we get to the point here, Savage?" Nick attempted to draw in the conversation.

Jack looked back to the fox, "Yes, Wilde. As I was saying, I a few mammals from the area. Given your individual records...I assumed you were the best duo for the job."

"You assumed wrong, Stripes," Jack seemed to be expecting a different response, so Nick continued, "This duo is about to become an uno. Judy got promoted, or does your intel need some updating?"

"I guess I can work with only you, Nicholas. This would have worked better if you were together, but...," Jack trailed off again.

Nick raised an eyebrow, "I don't think you understand, Stripes. Me and Carrots, we're a package deal. I don't wanna do something like this unless I've got Judy."

Judy turned to Nick, and Nick looked down. Jack looked between them both. The Judy punched him in the arm, "You're doing it. You don't get a say, dumb fox."

Nick stepped back, rubbing his now sore arm, "Carr-"

"He's doing it, Jack," Nick stuffed his hands into his pockets, a bit unhappy that he was being kept out of the conversation that may or may not change his career. Jack looked to him, and Nick gave a quick nod.

Judy hopped up, back to her cheery self, "Well, now that that's settled, I'll leave you two to it! Maybe I'll go see Clawhauser."

Jack stared after her as she quickly exited the room, and Nick did the same. There went his plans of getting the most out of their last day together, "That bunny'll be the death of me," Nick muttered.

Grabbing Nick by the arm, Jack started dragging him from the room, "Now I see who wears the pants in your relationship."

Nick, attempting to escape the grip of the surprisingly strong bunny, scoffed, "We aren't like that. We're just friends."

"Oh? You could've fooled me, and that's high praise. Anyways, back to the mission at hand," Jack had dragged the fox into a small hallway Nick hadn't even known existed, then into a room that was even smaller of a blip on his radar.

And Nick was surprisingly underwhelmed by what he was seeing. Their base of operations was almost as small as a broom closet, with a table, some pinned up pictures, and a blank projection on the wall. There wasn't even a support staff of any kind.

"We're a little...uh," Nick paused, hunting for the right word,"...understaffed."

Jack looked back, "We don't need pencil pushers. We're agents. We've got practically no limits on resources. We could buy a yacht and no one would care."

Nick liked the sound of that, although Jack quickly corrected himself, "We're not going to do that of course. We're going to bring down the fur trafficking ring located somewhere in the area in, around, or between," Jack grabbed a ruler from the table, and motioned to a map, "Sahara Square, and the Rain Forest District."

Nick watched as the rabbit's face twitched into a bit of a smile, looking hopeful that Nick would be at least somewhat impressed. Of what, Nick had no clue, "That's...not a lot to go on there, Stripes."

Jack deflated a bit, "That's where you come in, Wilde. I need you to use your connections to narrow down the location of the next auction. After we bust that, we can triangulate the location of any living victims connected."

"You're getting a bit worked up over there, Jack. Calm down, it's not a lot of material you don't have to work through it that fast," Before Jack could reply, Nick continued, "Not that it isn't a little cute," Nick winked, "But yes, I can dust off some favors, and get a bit of info regarding this whole thing."

Jack slumped into a nearby chair, "Thank you Nick, you're a lifesaver. The only way I could think of getting anywhere near this amount of help would be to go out into the field and storm a few nip dens. Wasn't looking forward to that."

"You sure do talk a lot, don't you?" Nick smirked when the rabbit stopped his rambling.

"Not usually, but I researched you Wilde. You're being uncharacteristically quiet," Nick again noted the damage control method.

Nick sighed, "If you had done your research properly, you would know why," Again Nick was brought back to the impending problem of not having Judy with him.

"Ms. Hopps' promotion has you down then, Mr. Wilde?" Nick narrowed his eyes a little. This rabbit was a little too good at hearing the unsaid and seeing the unseen. Jack seemed to be observing his reaction intently.

Nick cleared his throat, "Do we have anything else to work with here? Known mammals? Evidence?"

Jack stood up again, grabbed three files, and tossed them to the fox. Nick skimmed through them all. Nothing of importance stuck out to him. Low level criminals who had barely even been mentioned in passing to the fox before, one burned out transport van, and a few unknown substances found in the van.

Nick sighed and took the open seat next to Jack, "Guess you weren't lying, you really do need me here."

"I wouldn't have tracked you down if I didn't," Jack said, the serious yet somehow upbeat tone from earlier had faltered.

"And here I thought you just had me around for my dashing looks," Nick tossed the files on the table.

"It's definitely not a downside, having someone as charming as you as a partner. Hopps doesn't know what she's missing," Jack said, snatching up the loosely discarded files and putting them back into a filing cabinet.

* * *

As soon as Nick had gotten the keys from Judy, Nick and Jack hopped into the police cruiser usually reserved for Zootopia's most famous crime fighting duo. Nick barely waited for the suit-clad rabbit to buckle up before quickly exiting the garage.

Nick looked over at Jack as the began cruising at a steady pace, "A few warnings here: No snide comments with this guy. He's a good friend of mine, and he tolerates my comments but from you? He'll bite your face off."

"I can defend myself, Mr. Wilde," Nick chuckled.

"It's not a matter of defending yourself, Stripes. You just have to keep your mouth shut, 'kay?" Nick asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.

Jack sighed, and opened the glovebox, "You wouldn't happen to have any crackers here would you? Eh, probably not."

"Actually...check the center console," Jack nearly pounced on the opportunity, grabbing the crackers, "Skip breakfast, Stripes?"

Nick assumed the response was a yes, but couldn't hear it properly, as the rabbit was ravishing the small box.

Instead of paying attention to his new "partner's" odd eating habits, Nick focused on the road. Driving around the general area Finnick would normally be parked at, Nick couldn't spot the familiar mural anywhere. Deciding that he'd do one more lap before searching somewhere else, Nick quickly spotted a small sedan that had just pulled into an alley.

Parking the cruiser, Nick slipped from the car and moved his arm to rest on his holster. The duo approached, and Nick relaxed as an old partner got out of the car, "Finn, where's the van bud?"

The small fox spun around quickly, "Stolen, and when I find the fucks who did it, I'll take their-"

"Don't continue, I want at least some plausible deniability here," Nick said, paws raised. Jack eyed the fennec warily.

"And who's this? Seems like you've got a type Nick, although at least the last bunny you brought around here was a girl...," Finnick looked Jack over, "Didn't peg you as a fag, Nick."

Jack was about to comment before Nick cut in, "Now now Finnick, we both know you'll bang anything that moves."

"You've got me wrong here, I'll bang any girl that moves. Pretty sure that's," Finnick gestured to Jack, "not a girl."

Nick shoved his paws into his pockets, "Anyways, it's not even like that. We're here because we need some help with a case."

"Oh so this is your partner, but not your _partner_ ," Finnick said smugly, "I get it now."

Jack had to practically restrain himself. He didn't like this other fox very much, "This is serious, Finn. We need your help, then we'll get out of your fur."

"Oh so it _is_ a relationship, sorry to burst your bubble but I'm not exactly a marriage counselor," Jack groaned and turned away.

"Finn...," Nick growled out, "I'll owe you if you do this for me. A cop who owes you a favor, you know how useful that'll be? Especially if I decide to impound this car for having no sticker or registration."

"Oh come on, Nick," Finnick snickered, "Although I'm sure you're striped friend is already doing that."

"Okay, Finnick one last chance here. Can we ask you some questions?" Nick was exhausted by this already.

"Fine. But you owe me," Nick nodded, and motioned Jack over.

"Mr. Finnick," Jack began, cutting off another remark, "Can you tell us about any mammals connected to the Zootopia fur trafficking?"

Finnick scoffed and leaned back, "I can tell you something: You shouldn't be the leading cops here. Mr. Tribal Fur over here, and The Carrot. If you're ever caught snooping around that place you'll be skinned and sold to them reptiles from down south."

"We can protect ourselves, thank you very much," Jack said, patience running thin, "Now, can you tell us anything or not?"

The tiny fox glared at Jack, "Talk to Turlington or Weaselton. They'll know more than me."

Nick tapped Jack on the shoulder and motioned him to head back to the car, "You've been a real help here, Finn. Let's do this again sometime."

"And risk being branded a rat? No thanks," Finnick turned around and started rooting around in his car. Nick thought he spotted some paint cans in the backseat.

"Yeah, best get to work on the new mural," Finnick just flipped him off, and Nick took his leave.

Sliding back into the cruiser, Nick noted the stern look on Jack's face. Starting the car, Nick chuckled, "Told ya, he takes some getting used to."

"It's not that. Well, it is that," Jack paused, clearly thinking, "Did you say he owned a van? And this is the first time you've heard of it being stolen?"

"Yeah...," Nick was unsure of where this was going, but didn't like it either way.

Jack pulled out another cracker, and nibbled on it, "Did you notice that stuff coating his paws?"

"No, but he usually has some sort of scam going that requires handwork. Probably something to do with that, right?" Nick had a better idea of what Jack was implying.

"What if Finnick has upgraded from small time scams, Nick? I know that I've never met this fox before but...the small amount of evidence we have is aiming towards him," Nick was about to interject, but again was stopped. No one seemed to enjoy interruptions today, "Nick, he had a van. We just found a burned one. Mysterious substance found in the van, mysterious substance on Finnick."

Nick pulled over, and turned towards his new partner, "That's purely circumstantial evidence. Hell, it's probably just a coincidence. How about we get more evidence before we jump to conclusions?"

"It might be a coincidence, Nick. But I don't want your personal experiences with this fox to affect your judgment later," Jack said, and Nick huffed.

"Apparently your research and sources can only tell you so much, because you'd know that would never happen with something this important," Jack was a bit taken aback by the hostility in Nick's voice.

Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Nick, just don't forget that sometimes an obvious lead is the one we should pursue the hardest. I'm not exactly used to detective work anymore, but I'm trying to let you take the lead here. We need to shut these guys down for as long as possible, and that means gathering all the evidence. Even for minor cogs in the machine."

Nick just sat back in his seat, "I need a drink. Join me?"

* * *

 **A/N: First time writing Jack, so I'm still kinda experimenting here. Especially with the Nick/Jack dynamic. Either way, I'm pretty confident this is at least passable. Until next time. (Sorry for errors, me and my beta had a bit of a comms problem)  
**


	2. Entering Savage

**A/N: Quite a bit shorter than my last chapter, but this is just a bit of fluffy filler. Enjoy!**

* * *

Nick finished his pint, intently watching as Jack sipped from a martini, "What kind of mammal goes to a bar to get one of those?"

"You can never go wrong with a martini, Wilde. You're the one who wanted to come here, so you mustn't judge me for drinking," Jack waved his hands, going over the top in his words and the enunciation.

Nick ordered another pint, "And uhhhh," The fox hesitated, "A martini for me and one for my partner too."

"You're too kind," Jack was clearly getting a bit more than buzzed. Nick was starting to feel the same way, although he wouldn't be happy until he couldn't walk. Nick, still struggling with the fact that Finnick of all people could be connected with the scum of scum. They had always stuck to some sort of moral code in the past, albeit a twisted one.

"Nickkkkkkk, you're thinking too much. Just order me another martini," Nick had completely spaced on the fact hat their drinks had arrived. The fox did as he was told, signaling the bartender.

Warily, Nick tasted the mixed beverage. Immediately, Nick downed it like a shot, "Barkeep, another!" Nick practically shouted.

"You're supposed to taaste it, Nicky," Jack whined, and Nick barely acknowledged him, focusing instead on drinking his pint. The two sat in silence for a bit, finishing drinks and ordering more.

"You knew 'bout Judy's promotion, didn't ya?" Nick had really began feeling the drinks now, "You were barely fazed by the revelation, despite ya little bunny theatrics."

Jack scoffed, "Who needs 'em?"

Nick was not exactly sure by what Jack had meant by that, he wasn't even sure if it was a proper response. Instead Nick drank some more from his pint. Then an idea popped into his head, "Oh my God Jack! What if..."

Nick clumsily grabbed the martini glass from Jack's paws, as he hadn't received his new one yet. Despite the small protests, Nick dumped the contents of it into his pint. Jack watched curiously as the colors mixed, and then as the drink was tilted back into the fox's mouth.

Jack wasn't expecting Nick to projectile vomit into the chest of the, now more noticeably bulky, cheetah barkeep. A small growl escaped from his throat, before he calmed himself down, "Settle you bill, and then please leave."

Jack looked to Nick expectantly, and Nick looked to him. Then he did a double take, "I'm supposed to pay?" Jack's face still had a light smile on it, and he nodded, "What's our bill at?"

Jack shrugged, and Nick looked towards the cheetah, who handed him a rather large sheet of paper. Nick skimmed it, arriving at a fairly large circle at the bottom. Nick dropped the bill, grabbed Jack by the wrist, and ran from the bar.

The cheetah yelled after them, but didn't chase them. Nick didn't want to risk it though, and so they drunkenly stumble-ran through the streets and alleys of Zootopia. Luckily, they had left the cruiser at the station so they couldn't be ID'd.

When they had gotten a significant ways away, and through enough twists and turns Nick was sure a cheetah couldn't navigate at high speeds, the two slowed down. Nick couldn't help but laugh through his gasps for air, "We're mammals of the law!" He shouted into the night air, before resting against the brick and sliding to the alleyway's stone floor.

While Jack tried to stop laughing himself, Nick's phone began ringing. Nick pulled it out clumsily, but the alcohol was seriously effecting his coordination. He couldn't even swipe to answer it. As it went to voicemail, Nick tossed the phone to Jack, "Password's: Carrots. Call 'em back, won't ya?"

Jack laughed lightly at the password, and typed it in. Apparently the missed call was from it's namesake, and Jack quickly tapped the call button. It was answered almost immediately, "Nick? Why didn't you pick up? You're usually quick at that," Jack tossed the phone back, and Nick nearly fumbled it.

"Because, Carrots, we're the fox and rabbit Zootopia needs, but doesn't deserve.. We're saving the city from overpriced beer," Clearly his body wasn't liking his jokes, as it shut him up the only way possible. Nick vomited all over the alley ground.

Judy sighed, "Are you drunk, Nick? And who's there with you? I hear laughing," It was true, Jack couldn't help himself. And Nick was definitely drunk.

"Nah, just a little buzzed. Oh! And Jack's with me! Say hi Stripes!" Nick exclaimed, and Jack waved at the phone. It didn't click in either of their minds that Judy couldn't see him wave.

Nick looked through his phone, trying to think of something to do, "Oh! I'm gonna add the Chief to this call, 'kay?"

"Nick I really don't think that's a good idea, it's nearly midnight," Nick pondered this for a second.

"Then why'd you call me?" Silence.

Nick pressed the button, ringing Chief Bogo. Bogo answered after a few rings, obviously not happy at being woken, "Hopps, Wilde, what is this? I was trying to sleep. Do I have to deal with you two even when I'm at home?"

"I'm here toooo," Jack quickly added, trailing off into a small giggle.

"Is that Savage? Jesus I think I can smell the alcohol through my phone. You three are drunk off your asses, aren't you?" Bogo's disdain only deepened.

"Not me Chief," Judy said.

Sighing, a click was heard from Bogo's side, "Well that's two of us. This better be something worthy of my time, Wilde."

"It is, Bungalow. We had a huge request for you, pertaining to our operation," Jack glanced over again at Nick, unaware of what this request was.

Bogo's tone sobered up, "What would that be, Wilde?"

"Can you get those cheapskates to lower the price of a martini and a pint?" Nick and Jack burst out laughing. Bogo grunted, and hung up. Judy giggled a little, before saying goodnight and hanging up herself.

"We should buy a bar, Nick," The fox nodded lazily, "We could lower prices. Overtake the greedy owners who actually want to own a bar seriously."

Nick stood back up, on unsteady legs. Jack mirrored him, but quickly fell over. Nick laughed, and Jack sat up, clearly upset. The rabbit sniffled.

"Jacky, nooooo. Don't cry, or I'll have to hug you," The rabbit perked up a bit at that, and an idea came to him, "What if I carry you? Like on my back or something? Just don't cry, pleeease."

Jack smiled slightly and nodded, head seemingly weighing more than the rest of his body combined. Nick bent down, lifted Jack up, and let the bunny loop his arms around his neck. Staggering slightly, Nick attempted to steady himself. Jack did his best to act as a balancing weight. It didn't help the larger mammal much.

As soon as he got himself properly steadied, Nick set off towards the nearest open street. Nick let Jack direct him, hoping the rabbit would lead them somewhere more entertaining.

Nick instantly regretted opening his eyes. Blinding light assaulted him from every possible direction, and it made his intense migraine even worse. Attempting to get his bearings, Nick slowly adjusted to the light. He was obviously not in his bed, this one was much larger than his. Rolling over, Nick froze.

Sleeping next to him in this strange place was none other than Commander Jack Savage. Who just so happened to be fully naked. Nick scrambled backwards, toppling over the edge of the bed onto the floor.

The full extent of what had happened hit Nick like a sack of bricks when he realized he too, was completely naked. Slowly standing up, Nick glanced around the room. Was this Jack's house? Or some stranger's?

Glancing over at the nude rabbit, Nick's eyes were drawn to the deep, jagged scar marking his side. What it had been from, he could only guess. There were quite a few smaller scars littering Jack's small form, none as prominent as that one.

Nick made a metal note to ask late, but quickly noticed the wide open eyes of his partner, "Enjoying the view, Nicky?"

Looking away, Nick hunted for his clothes. Although after ten minutes he gave up, coming back to rest on the bed, "So...this your place?"

"Nope, no clue who lives here. You should check the closet for clothes, see if any are your size," Nick paused, ready to take that advice. Instead he turned around and looked at the rabbit.

"Jack...did we uhhh. Did we hook up last night?" Nick could see a light blush tint Jack's ears, although he didn't comment on it.

"Honestly, I'm not 100% sure either. The evidence before us can lead us to quite a few conclusions. One being that we did," Nick sighed, and made his way towards the closet, "But I can't remember over half of what happened last night. I remember drinking martinis, then running. That's about it."

Nick laughed, "That's about where my night ended too," Rooting through the closet, Nick quickly found that this was the apartment of a much larger, female mammal, "No luck here."

"Think we should just run for the nearest precinct?" Jack asked, still laying down on full display.

"Well, what's the worst that could happen? If we're caught here then we'll be charged with breaking and entering. If we can make it to a precinct than maybe we can hide in a broom closet for the day," Nick mused, "Although, if we're caught naked in a broom closet together that'd be pretty hard to explain too."

"Welp, I'm willing to try it," Jack said, sighing and sitting up, "Ready to run?"

"Not really...I'm a bit sore," Nick's eyes widened. If they had really done it, had he bottomed?

* * *

 **A/N: Nick's worst fear is a possibility: He bottomed during gay sex. How will our _hero_ cope with this tremendous hit? ****Aye though, I thank y'all for the support. Although I do appreciate a review or two. (Still having beta troubles, sorry!)**


	3. Justice Ain't Gonna Dispense Itself

**A/N: Late night/early morning update. At least for me it is. Eh. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Let's not talk about it again, okay Jack?" Nick pleaded, growing tired with the conversation. Jack had been very adamant that they search for their clothes as soon as they got spares from the precinct.

Nick had been less enthusiastic, until he remembered that his phone had been in his pants. When they did find their clothes, they were discarded in some random street a few blocks from the house they had commandeered.

But still, two days of research later, Jack kept bringing the conversation back round to their drunken night. Nick just wanted to forget. Jack was worried about the blanks in their night, and Nick was too. Although for different reasons. Jack was scared of how many laws they might have broken.

Nick was scared about what he and Jack had potentially done. So every time the event was brought up, he attempted to shrug it off, "I just think you should let me go through your phone. Try to put some times and interactions onto a timeline."

"Jack. We've only known each other for three days, I'm not letting you go through my phone, and I'm definitely not giving you my password," Nick sighed, examining the file on Weaselton. No outstanding warrants, not a single one for quite a few months. That was a good enough red flag in his head, "Do we have a file on Turlington? I'd like to take a look at his police run ins over the past few-"

Jack raised a paw, a more serious look on his face than normal. His features no longer held their relaxed composure, "Your password is Carrots, Nick."

Nick was taken aback, "How did you...," The fox shook his head, "I don't care, I'm not giving you my phone. There's personal stuff on there, stuff I don't exactly trust you with."

The rabbit narrowed his eyes a bit, turning around and hunting for the file he had pulled earlier. Nick watched him, slightly confused that he'd drop the subject so quick. When Jack had found what he had been looking for, he threw it too Nick. A bit too hard.

The file hit the fox in the face, before opening and spilling the few papers in it across the floor. Nick was a bit surprised by the roughness of his partner, and quirked an eyebrow, "Something on your mind, champ?"

When he didn't receive a response, Nick crouched down and picked up the papers. When he had organized them loosely, he began examining them.

Spotless record, but multiple charges they couldn't make stick. Lost evidence, dead witnesses, government officials suspected of bribery. Downright corruption. Nick was a little disgusted by it, especially because of how heinous the crimes were. He was a predator, in the physical and criminal way. Some o the reports made him want to vomit.

"Okay, this is definitely our prime suspect. We find a way to get this guy talking, I have a strong feeling we get the whole crew," Nick said, still struggling not to spit on the file, "This is one twisted coyote."

Jack looked him directly in the eyes, "I have an idea of how to get him to confess. Not exactly a ZPD method. A method I learned from an old friend, a fox actually. You kind of look like him."

Nick was a little skeptical, but decided that if there was a chance they could shut this thing down sooner, he'd take it, "First we have to find him. Apparently, he's a very hard mammal to find."

"Shouldn't take long," Jack slid a pair of sunglasses onto his face, and walked out of the room. Nick followed him slowly, absentmindedly straightening his uniform's tie, before the bunny stopped spun around, "Keys?"

Nick tossed Jack the cruiser's keys, which he deftly swiped from the air. The fox continued towards the garage, after having caught up more with Jack. A thick silence settled between them, and Nick wasn't content with it.

"Jack," Nick sighed. Why did he always end up being guilt tripped by bunnies? "I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just...I can't read you very well."

Entering the car through the passenger's door, receiving only the base acknowledgment of a sharp nod. Nick didn't like it, but continued anyways, "I always have a good read on people, Jack. You aren't exactly the best at disguising your feelings or anything like that. But I still can't read you. That makes me uneasy."

"Clearly, your drunken self doesn't feel that way. That's where I got your password, or didn't that cross your mind?"Jack's voice had lowered slightly, barely above a whisper. His accent was coming through more, making Nick's brain go into overtime to understand overtime just to catch every word, "Apparently, your cock doesn't feel the same way either."

Nick had been about to continue his apology, but clamped his jaw shut. His prior opinion of this new face erased, he focused more on his motto. Jack would _**not**_ get to him, "Just get us to Turlington. I want to put these fucks behind bars as soon as possible," _And get away from this as soon as possible._

Jack started the car, and sped out of the lot. Nick made a mental note of the way Jack gripped the wheel. He was holding it tightly. Very tightly. Even through the fur Nick could tell the blood was leaving his knuckles.

"Easy there, Stripes. You'll hurt yourself," Nick disguised his concern with a touch of sarcasm, hoping Jack would take his warning seriously. Had one conversation really affected the bunny that much? Sure, he had made jokes about bunnies and their overactive emotions, but this took the cake.

When Jack nearly drove into another car, Nick decided he had had enough, "Jack, pull over. I'm not letting you kill us both because I was insensitive."

Jack didn't listen, but slowed down a bit. Settling for that, the fox opened his phone, checking for messages. Only one, from Finnick: **"You'll find Turlington in the back room of the gas station on 5** **th** **and Flanders. He's usually there from 12 to 8pm."**

Of course that's a rough translation, as Finnick never truly saw the point of a grammatically correct text. Nick showed Jack the address, and the rabbit nodded in response, "I told you, I have my own sources. Or do you not trust those, either?"

The fox groaned, "Jack, let it go. You can't get mad at me for not fully trusting a mysterious agent I've known for literally three days. Not only is it a rational thing to do, it's what I've been doing all my life. You get hurt when you trust blindly."

Jack tightened his grip a bit again, "But we had that night, we got drunk together. We bothered people at horrendous hours. We broke laws."

"And what I remember of it was fun," Nick whispered, "But even that was the first day I had met you. To make matters worse, not only is their a huge time gap, but we woke up naked together. Friends don't usually do that, especially not a friend they just met."

Jack turned to look at him, glaring hard, "Are you implying that I took advantage of you? That I _raped_ you?"

"Jesus, Jack! No," Nick exclaimed, "Just that we hadn't known each other for more than 24 hours and we had already fucked...potentially."

Nick was caught up in these huge leaps of thought, unsure how one mammal could misunderstand him so easily, "Look, Jack. Can we finish this conversation after we've interrogated the suspect? Pretty sure the safety of Zootopians takes precedence."

Jack nodded, and soon they were pulling into the parking lot. Hopefully this was a string they could tug. Nick was hopeful, and Jack was certain. Nick borrowed some of that obvious confidence, and followed the rabbit into the store.

Nick wasn't expecting the rabbit to pull a gun and shoot the store clerk. And the three mammals who ran from the back room. Luckily, none of them were the target. Nick watched Jack change the sign to closed, and couldn't stop himself, "Jack, what the fuck?"

"We handled Finnick your way, partner, let me do this my way," Jack stepped over the bodies, and Nick followed. The stench of death and blood almost made him sick.

"This isn't what I had in mind when I agreed to this," Nick pulled his own gun, following after Jack. They entered the back room, spotting the coyote seated at a table. They had clearly been playing poker. A memory of their drunken night was called to mind.

A casino, and some misplaced cash. Quite a few more drinks, and then a few embarrassing moments involving the misidentification of a poker table. Although apparently that had been Jack's fault.

"Turlington, I presume?" Jack asked, not trace of the previous anger in his voice. When he nodded, Jack turned to Nick and his expression softened slightly, "You might not want to be here for this next part."

"I can't wait to see what those stripes look like around another animal," Turlington's first mistake: Threatening his torturer.

* * *

Nick wasn't exactly sure why he'd stayed, but Jack made him promise that no matter what he wouldn't intervene. He wished he had left. The stench of blood and burned flesh was currently occupying his nose, turning his stomach.

Jack stood in front of the bloodied coyote, having long since given his suit jacket over to Nick. The rabbit was still wearing his dress shirt, sleeves rolled up in a vain attempt to keep it somewhat clean. It hadn't worked.

His forearms were stained with blood, but overall it had been worth it. They had gotten at least a partial confession and a general location for the next auction. He had never directly been to one, but the mammals Jack killed on the way in had.

Now, Turlington was begging them to let him leave. Nick wasn't sure Jack would let him. After a few minutes of begging, Jack turned to Nick, "Left inner pocket on my jacket, there's a vial. Toss it to me, won't you?"

Nick did as he was asked, "Anything else?"

"Grab me a syringe, disinfectant, bandages, and a few water bottles," Nick put the jacket on a hook, and went about collecting the items from the store. When he returned, Jack was wiping at his arms with a rag.

Nick set the items down on the poker table, and Jack inspected them. When he decided they were good enough, he stuck the syringe into the vial. When it was full, he turned to Turlington and jabbed him in the arm, emptying the bluish liquid into him.

"It's an amnesiac," Jack said when he saw Nick's confusion written on his face, "Usually it can be ingested. Takes longer but it's more subtle. Memories also begin to come back that way. This is more permanent."

Nick pondered this. If Jack had this on hand at all times...

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of water splashing against the floor. Jack had dumped a bottle over the head of the coyote, and was now using another to wash the blood from his own fur.

Jack poured the disinfectant on his own paws, then into Turlington's wounds. He then haphazardly wrapped them with the bandages, and wiped himself off again with a new rag. Nick noted that there was quite a few discarded ones littering the floor.

When Jack moved to grab his coat, Nick got his first full blown look at the shattered Turlington. Nick couldn't help but feel bad for him, even knowing the crimes he had committed. It seems justice had finally caught up with him. Nick could only think that maybe the victim's families could find solace in this.

That's when Nick decided that justice wasn't fully served yet. He drew his gun and let out a bullet, penetrating the coyote's skull, "Let's make these scum piss themselves in anticipation."

Jack looked back in surprise, before nodding. It wasn't exactly to send a message. It was more like killing someone to ensure the safety of a friend. The threat of someone skinning Jack was enough to make him kill someone. He'd only done that once before, and that was for revenge.

"Let's go, Nick," Jack said, motioning for him to follow, "We've got a weasel to visit."

"What about the cameras?" Nick asked.

"There's no way a place frequented by so many criminals is using anything other than dummy cameras," Nick practically smacked himself in the face. He should've known that.

"So, Stripes," Jack's ear twitched at the sound of the nickname, "Are we gonna do the same thing to Weaselton? Because I'm pretty sure even the threat of what just happened will get us all the information he has."

"If so, then we won't have to. But if he proves to be too stubborn," Jack whispered.

"We best not torture him, he's more high profile on the ZPD's radar. More likely to be noticed," Nick countered, not really believing the words. He just didn't want to see Jack repeat the process. It didn't seem like something anyone could enjoy, and it had obviously taken it's toll on him.

Jack sighed, "Okay. Nick...I'm sorry for what I said."

"Me too, Jack. Me too," The fox settled in, content with the apology, "I have no idea where to find Weaselton."

Jack leaned back, "Fuck."

* * *

 **A/N: Welp, now I'm not sure whether to sleep or start chapter 4. Please review!  
**


End file.
